Digital Spy readers were split today over news that ABC's new paranormal drama The River will make its UK debut not via a traditional broadcaster, but on iTunes. Single episodes will be priced at £1.89 (SD) and £2.49 (HD), while a season pass is available from £12.99 (in HD) or £9.99 (in SD).

"Having the option to download [shows] legally and pay my dues to the production company is always good, and this is a reasonable price to pay," said Simon Grierson.

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However, Andrew Dott argued: "I'll happily pay money to watch something online if it's the only way I'll be able to see it, but if it's a case of paying for something that will eventually be available on DVD... then I'll just wait and buy the physical boxset."

It's clear that premiering television shows online is a growing trend. Hot on the heels of the River announcement came the news that the first six seasons of cult US comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have been made available to stream on Netflix, with the seventh run to follow on February 13.

Netflix is even branching out into original content - a new season of axed Fox comedy Arrested Development will be made available to subscribers of the movie rental service in the US in 2013. One of the bastions of UK broadcasting, Channel 4, is also getting in on the act, making the first episode of US comedy New Girl and the Skins sixth series premiere available via their 4oD service, ahead of their television debut.

So what are the benefits of releasing programming on the internet? The long gap between the US and UK broadcast of certain shows has become a problem for broadcasters, leading some impatient fans to embrace online piracy.

This gap has dramatically narrowed of late - many US shows now air in the UK just days after they've premiered Stateside, but this new system is not without its problems. UK broadcasters are essentially subject to the scheduling whims of the US networks, leaving UK viewers - unused to American television's haphazard scheduling - baffled as shows like Glee vanish for weeks on end.

With online content, users are able to pick and choose the shows they watch, essentially designing their own TV schedule. Aside from the obvious time benefit this provides, allowing users to arrange their television watching around their busy schedules, legitimate online broadcasting could strike a real blow to the heart of TV piracy.

Many online television portals - such as Hulu - currently have geographical barriers in place, but is it outside the realms of possibility to imagine a region-free online broadcaster, particularly with original online content on the rise? With funding available through advertising and subscription fees, could a system be established that allows users across the globe simultaneous access to shows?

There's certainly no doubt that broadcasting original content online has helped to make television production a more democratic process. Though they tend to receive less coverage than their traditionally-televised counterparts, web series are positively thriving at the moment, with big-name actors - Kiefer Sutherland, Supernatural's Misha Collins - signing up to star.

A solid example of how the online system can help raw, untapped talent to emerge is the 11-episode comedy web series We Need Girlfriends. Originally filmed on a small budget and uploaded to YouTube from 2006 to 2007, the concept was later picked up by Sony Pictures and CBS for development as a television series. Online broadcasters may not be ready to wholly replace traditional television channels just yet, but clearly they are already a viable alternative.

Is online the future of television? Is a region-free online broadcaster a real possibility? Share your thoughts below!